iPod Drabble Redux
by distorted realities
Summary: From mary marshall LJ comm. Month of Mayhem. My belated contribution to the iPod Drabble Redux challenge...enjoy!


Katiann's iPod List – for the record I've only heard one of these songs before, so I hope I got these right-ish. Nothing to OOC I don't think. Mostly narrative's though cause apparently I'm not in the mood for dialogue.

Disclaimer -- IPS isn't mine!! Sob. Neither are the songs. Just borrowing everything!

**Coal Mine – Sara Evans**

She hated being on medical leave. Hated it. It sucked that Marshall got to work and had to take care of the witnesses. She was even willing to do paperwork if it would get her into the office. It wasn't just the work. She missed getting to spend time with Marshall. She hadn't realized how much she depended on him as an active part of her life. Brandi, Jinx, and Raph were trying. But they weren't helping. Like at all. Too bad Marshall locked her gun up. At least if she shot one of them she would be amused.

"Evenin' Mare." Speak of the devil. He had surprised her.

"You look like shit."

"Thanks."

"Dinner?"

If she couldn't be with him she could take care of him at home.

**Living & Living Well – George Strait**

Marshall surprisingly enough never disliked his bachelor life. People just assumed because of his personality he was meant to have a wife and kids running around. He loved the freedom being a bachelor gave him. He loved his job, and he didn't want to sacrifice that for a relationship. He always assumed that his job was incompatible with a relationship.

Then he met Mary. He learned there was a difference between living and living well. He began to share his life with her. She understood everything he was going through just like he understood her life. Being able to share the job made his life that much better.

**No One Does It Like You – Department of Eagles**

They both tried for years to find replacements. Mary had Raph. Marshall had Shelly. Only Marshall knew the relationship was what it was - a replacement. In the end it was the replacements that ended up being hurt.

"Where were you, querida?" Raph asked.

"Trouble at the office," Mary said shrugging out her pantsuit and going into the shower.

Raph smelt the cologne and knew it was Marshall's. It was also a lot stronger than if the two had just been working together. But he wasn't going to leave Mary because even half of Mary was worth it to Raph.

"Marshall, you're late," Shelly asked that same night in a house across town.

"Sorry, Shell," Marshall stays, stopping to place a kiss on her forehead. "Got held up on a transfer."

Marshall slips into bed but not before Shelly notices the fingernail markings on his upper back. But she says nothing…

**Dusk and Summer – Dashboard Confessional**

Two weeks was all it took for Marshall to fall in love with Mary. Two weeks in a vacation bubble. Two weeks away from work, away from her family, away from real life. Two weeks to see what life would be if they were just Mary and Marshall. And Marshall wanted-not _needed_- to stay.

The night before the vacation was over Mary told him that this was it. What had happened at the beach house had to stay there. They had to be normal back home.

But she held him tight that night. He wishes he had because the next week she was gone.

**Lifesize – A Fine Frenzy**

It shouldn't have surprised anyone that Marshall and Mary would work. What surprised everyone was how well they worked when they finally got together. It was like the power of their partnership was magnified. Their ability to read each other had doubled at least. Marshall became a little more brazen and a little more badass lawman. Mary wasn't all of a sudden a meek woman. Still the utter badass to the core, her edges had often. Her eyes softened a little more when she dealt with scared couples. She smiled softly when reassuring them that they would work through it.

It was their relationship, their romantic relationship, that made them even better at their job.

**Your Bruise – Death Cab for Cutie**

Mary broke. It had to happen right? You can't be strong forever, can you? Mary had been fighting for so long. So when Mary broke, what did Marshall do? Marshall was there with a car and a phone call to Stan telling him they needed the weekend off.

For miles and miles and hours and hours Mary was silent. Marshall said nothing until she looked at him, needing normalcy. It was then that Marshall started chattering about everything: the music on the radio, the cities they were passing, the cars they saw.

Mary was still silent. Still trying to pretend everything was fine. Until it just wasn't. And it wasn't when Marshall said one word: "Mare."

**Process – Less Than Jake**

Stan saw the change happening between Mary and Marshall, and he wondered if he needed to say something. Romantic relationships were frowned on between partners. But Mary and Marshall were more than just partners, and Stan had figured that out within 3 months of partnering them. He knew he couldn't—wouldn't—stop the relationship change.

**I Thought You Should Know – Steve Earle**

It was 2 hours after Mary's reception was over, and Marshall was well on his way to being drunk in the corner of some dingy bar. It was a far cry from the reception, and Marshall couldn't help bitterly thinking that Mary would've preferred this bar to the reception.

Marshall wasn't oblivious to the tiny brunette who kept glancing his way. Looking as out of place as he was, she was sitting on a barstool in a little black dress, nursing a beer. She downed the beer and walked over, taking his hand.

"Dance with me, cowboy," she said, pulling him to the floor.

"My best friend, the woman I love, just got married," he said after a few moments.

"I found my best friend in bed with my fiancée," she said.

"Just letting you know," Marshall said tightening his arms around the brunette who was the complete opposite of the girl he'd just lost.

**Shakedown – Bob Seger**

Marshall was the opposite of Mary. Mary would get bent out of shape when the bad guy got away, when they didn't get him immediately. Mary loved instance gratification; she wanted results and wanted them yesterday.

Marshall was different. For Marshall, he knew that no one would get away from him. Sometimes it was all about giving someone enough rope to hang himself. Marshall appreciated the chase because in the end Marshall knew he would be victorious. He loved the feeling knowing he beat someone who thought they won.

That's the reason Marshall wasn't overly concerned about Mary being engaged to Raph. He'd give her enough space to make her decision. She got engaged spur of the moment. It sounded good. Marshall knew that eventually Mary would change her mind, and he would be right there.

**One Week – Barenaked Ladies**

Mary and Marshall were a well-oiled machine. That didn't change when they started dating. Their fights just became a little more colorful and inappropriate for work; that didn't stop Mary from bringing them up there or instigating them then.

Someone would do something to piss off the other one. Usually Marshall did something or Mary thought Marshall did something. The next day someone would yell, usually Mary. Marshall would laugh or act in some other inappropriate manner. The next day there would be some physical altercation. Mary would ignore Marshall, and Marshall would act as though everything was fine. Then the next day, whoever's fault it was would realize it. Mary would forgive Marshall the next day or acknowledge him in some manner. But it would still be 2 days before Marshall would apologize, his fault or not, because that's the only way Mary would let the incident go entirely.


End file.
